Circuit-breaker.



- F. HEATH.

CIRCUIT BREAKER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 29, 1911.

Patented Feb. 25, 1913.

Fig.2.

2 W 45W 0W.

UNITED STATES PATENT UFFTCE.

FRANK HEATH, OF SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA.

CIRCUIT-BREAKER.

Application filed March 29,

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, F RANK HEATH, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of San Diego in the county of San Diego and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Circuit- Breakers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a circuit breaker to be used for the purpose of breaking an electric current when an interruption thereof is desired, to keep the same broken for a short time and to have it automatically restored.

It is more particularly adapted to be used in connection with tracks over which vehicles pass and. it is operated upon by the weight of the vehicle or a part thereof coming in contact with the saidtrack where said device is attached, and the objects of my invention are, first, to provide a circuit breaker that can be placed so that it will not be affected, except by vehicles possessing the necessary weight to cause it to act, second, to provide a circuit breaker that will automatically restore the circuit when the weight of the vehicle is removed, third, to provide a circuit breaker having its P rts protected so that it will not be affected by the elements, and fourth, to provide a circuit breaker that may be cheaply and economicallyconstructed, that will not easily get out of repair and which consists of few parts.

With these and other objects than those hereinbefore set forth, my invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, as will be described in detail and specifically pointed out in the appended claims, and which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a cross sectional view of one rail of a vehicle track showing my device in position thereon, Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the same showing the device on a broken section thereof, Fig. 3 is a side elevational and top View of the stationary contact portion, Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view thereof, Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view of the contact portions, and the inclosing box, Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the movable contact portion, Fig. 7 is a side elevational view of the same, and Fig. 8 is a vertical section of the same at right angles thereto,

Specification of Letters Patent Patented Feb. 25,1913.

1911. Serial No. 617,647.

Similar characters of reference refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Numeral 1 represents a track or rail on which the wheels of a vehicle travel, 2 a flat bar attached to said track at each of its ends by bolts 2 leaving a space between the track and the bar 2 near the middle of said bar of a sufficient width to allow the track to move up and down near its middle part without coming in contact with bar 2 or with the parts attached thereto. The box 2 containing contact supporting blocks 3 is rigidly attached to bar 2 at 'or near its middle and between said bar 2 and track 1, by means of bolts 3". The contact supporting block'3 is rigidly attached to track 4 by extension arm e by means of bolts l The contact supporting block 3 in box 2 is rigidly attached thereto by means of bolts 3 The contact members 5 are spring members and are set in a recess in the one side of contact supporting block 3 so that their lower ends contact with members 3 in contact supporting block 3, and are connected with insulated wires 5 and the contact members 3 are embedded in the one side of contact supporting block. 3 flush with the outer surface thereof, and are adapted to engage with the lower ends of contact members 5, and thus are connected with insulated wires 5". These contact supporting blocks 3 and 3 are non-conductors. The contact members 5 are of a sufficient length to rest against contact members 3 when the supporting block 3 is fully inserted into box 2". This box 2 is shaped as shown best in Fig. 5 and is constructed with water proof joints and. has no openings into it except in its lower end and is thus protected against the elements.

The device is operated as follows :VVhen the track is not being used, the two contact supporting blocks 3 and 3 remain in the relative positions to each other as shown best in Fig. 5, and the contact members 5 are in electrical connection with contact members 3 It will benoticed that these contact members are used in pairs in order to make them more effectual. hen the weight of the vehicle is applied to rail 1 near the middle of bar 2 the rail will be depressed by the weight and will carry with it contact member 3 which is movably mounted in box 2 and thereby breaks the circuit through contact members 5 and 3 After the weight on rail 1 has been removed, the

elasticity of said rail will cause it to return to its former position, carrying contact portion 3 with it, and thereby restore the electrical connection between the contact members 5 and 3 It will be readily seen that with this construction and arrangement of parts, there is provided a simple, economical and easily operated circuit breaker, one that will only be affected by vehicles possessing the necessary weight, that will automatically cause the circuit to be restored when the weight of the vehicle is removed that is protected so that it will not be affected by the elements, that may be cheaply and economically constructed, that will not easily get out of repair, and that by the use of a plurality of contact members several separate circuits may be controlled by the one circuit breaker.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A circuit breaker comprising a rail adapted for the wheels of a vehicle, a bar attached thereto at each of its ends, a contact portion, electrically connected, mounted upon and near the middle part of said bar, another contact portion similarly connected, mounted on said rail and normally in electric connection with said other contact portion and adapted to be operated by the weight of a vehicle, for breaking said electric connection all substantially as set forth.

2. A circuit breaker comprising a rail, a contact portion attached thereto, a bar at-' tached at each of its ends to said rail, and a contact member mounted on said bar, all substantially as set forth.

3. A circuit breaker comprising a track, a bar parallel to said track and attached thereto at each of its ends, and spaced away therefrom at its middle portion, a box attached to said bar at its middle point, a contact. sup porting block in said box rigidly attached thereto, another contact supporting block rigidly attached to said rail and adapted to be inserted into the lower end of said box, contact members carried by said blocks, the contact members of one block normally engaging the contact members of the other block, insulated wires in one of said contact supporting blocks connected to the contact members thereof, said contact supporting blocks being adapted to be operated automatically for breaking and restoring the electric connections between the contacts, all substantially as set forth.

1-. A circuit breaker comprising a vehicle track, a horizontal bar attached at each of its ends to said vehicle track and spaced\ apart therefrom, a contact supporting block attached to said bar at its middle point, another contact supporting block attached to said track adjacent to said other contact supporting block, electrical contact members in each of said contact supporting blocks adapted to engage with each other and to be automatically and electrically connected and disconnected with each other, all substantially as set forth.

A circuit breaker comprising a rail adapted for the wheels of a vehicle, a bar parallel thereto attached at each of its ends to said rail and spaced apart therefrom at its middle part, a box with water proof joints and an opening in its lower end rigidly attached to said bar, a contact supporting block rigidly mounted in one part of said box, another contact supporting block movably mounted in said box and rigidly attached to said track, contact members in each of said contact supporting blocks,the contact members in one block being adapted to engage with the corresponding ones in the other block, and wire connections in one of said contact supporting blocks attached to the contact member therein.

6. A circuit breaker comprising a vehicle track, a bar rigidly mounted at each end thereof provided with an offset, a tight box open at the bottom and rigidly attached to said bar in said offset, a piece of insulation provided with spring contacts which are provided with electrical connections rigidly attached inside said box, another insulation piece provided with a contact set therein which is provided with electric connections, said latter mounted insulation piece adapted to be raised and lowered in said her; and adapted to engage and disengage said contaetmen'ibers, and a means for connecting said insulated piece to said rail, all substantially as set forth.

7. A circuit breaker comprising a vehicle track, a bar rigidly attached at each end thereof provided with an offset therein, an inclosed stationary contact means rigidly attached to said bar in said offset, and an inclosed movable means adapted to operate in connection with said inclosed stationary contact means rigidly attached to said rail, all substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANK HE ATH. Witnesses Animal B. BOWMAN, MARY A. BOWMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of 'Patent s, W shington, D C. 

